The Adventures of Annie and Mitch: January 2017

It's been a few months now, but I'm finally getting around to writing about the big night! It happened on November 5th. The actual asking wasn't really a surprise, but I didn't know what Mitch had planned. We've been talking about getting married for months- since even before our summer road trip. After the road trip talk got more serious- we spent 6 weeks together in a car and didn't kill each other- in fact we still really loved each other and wanted to keep spending time together!

I may have been a bit persistent... we even discussed potential dates/time of year and settled on October. It's gorgeous in Tucson, we have a week off for Fall Break, both of our parents, and all of Mitch's siblings were married in the fall, and it gave enough time to plan. But after more than a few weeks and no "official" engagement, I was getting antsy! I mentioned, again, that I would like to get things going because I wanted to start planning and would need time. And pointed out that if we were shooting for October, we were a year out. Mitch responded with "Well, I've been trying to go bowling!" to which i answered "I didn't know bowling was so important- lets go bowling. I thought you were just casually wanting to bowl!" So we sent a date for "bowling"- November 5th, a Saturday evening.

November 6th is my dad's birthday, so my mom had invited us over for dinner on the 5th to celebrate. We agreed to bowling afterward. As i thought more about it though, I was a little worried Mitch was going to propose in the bowling alley. Not exactly the most romantic setting... yes we went bowling on our first date, but lets be real- bowling alleys are filthy and always smell like oil and grease and stale beer. Not what I had envisioned... But i went with it and figured, no matter what, I'm going to marry the man I love who is truly a perfect match. Then I had to worry about what to wear- I wanted to look cute, but also bowling appropriate. Oh the life of a woman...

I have to admit- I underestimated him. We went bowling, just one quick game, then he said we were going downtown. We drove down to 4th avenue, just like we had on our 1st date, walked past Brooklyn Pizza (but skipped the slice since we had just eaten) and wandered into the Flycatcher. We ran into a friend who we had bumped into that first night (he really did his homework and planned for serendipity) and then he decided we needed a shot. Of tequila. Well tequila. I obliged and he told me later he needed a bit of liquid courage, but well tequila was perhaps not a great decision.

We continued to walk, reminisced about that first date, laughed about how bad well tequila is, and I corrected his directions when he tried to turn the wrong way. He asked if I knew where we were going, and I told him I had a hunch and if I was correct, we needed to turn left and go under the underpass. He knew better than to question my directions, and we ended up where I expected- right in front of Borderlands Brewery. There was a private event (a wedding to be exact) going on, so we couldn't go in, but listened to one of the speeches while Mitch commented that he needed the bathroom. We checked a nearby port-a-potty, but found it locked. So we walked down the block to the Bates Mansion, formerly the Maker House. We had stopped there on our first date as well and played some old video games- maybe mortal combat? I know it involved fighting and I lost miserably because my tactic of "just hit a lot of buttons and move the joystick in circles" proved ineffective.

He insisted we go in so he could use the bathroom. I insisted we not since there was clearly a wedding taking place- we could hear the music from outside the walls. He walked in anyway, so I nervously followed, all the while glaring at him (and feeling particularly under dressed in my casual attire). I loitered in the entrance, hoping no one would see me and wondering what in the world was taking him so long. He FINALLY came back and told me to follow him. I refused, and said we needed to leave. He wouldn't take no for answer and insisted I follow. I nervously laughed, shook my head, probably called him nuts, and followed anyway. We snuck around the corner to a small room that was empty. It held a couch and a few chairs, a pool table, and empty hangers I assumed belonged to the groom and groomsmen. Laughing all the while, I told him I could not believe we were there and that we were crashing a wedding! He reminded me we crashed a party our first date (it appeared to be a company Christmas party at then AquaDec) so he figured it was only fitting. Then he slid off the couch and on to one knee and asked if I would marry him.

I laughed and said of course and kissed him. He snuck out again and went to the bar and got two glasses of champagne so we could toast. All night he had been checking his phone and he said he had to make a call. I was perplexed, but a few minutes later a woman came in and shook his hand and he explained he had called ahead to make sure we could sneak in. She also told him the dates he asked about were open, and she'd be happy to talk more another time.

Like I said, I underestimated him! He did an excellent job of not only planning a great evening, revisiting our first date spots, but had been doing some calling to find out about Bates Mansion as a venue (spoiler: We booked it!). After the official proposal, we stole the bride and grooms Polaroids, snapped a quick pic for ourselves and one for their guest book, and walked back to Congress street for some Hub ice cream. I couldn't stop smiling. We stopped in to The SHanty to wish a friend a happy birthday and officially told him the news. We then stopped at my best friend, Steph's house, because we had parked in front of it, she knew what was going down, and I figured it would be a good time to get a photo.

We decided to be really classy and used the TV screen saver with a lovely image of London as a backdrop and did the classic ring-hand on chest pose. While kneeling in front of the TV and laughing. The ring was my grandma's ring from the 1940's. I've had it for years, my mom had it before I did and passed it down years ago. I've long dreamed of wearing it, but its clearly a diamond engagement ring so it has been sitting in my jewelry box instead. Mitch polished it and it fits perfectly and I love the classic look and sparkle as well as the sentimental value of wearing a ring that belonged to a woman that I loved and who inspired me so much.

There you have it- the details of The Engagement. But regardless of how it went down (perfectly, I might add), I'm truly so happy and excited to marry Mitch. I love him with my entire heart, I enjoy his company, he makes me laugh the way no one else ever has, knows just what to say when I'm down, and is the most supportive partner a girl could ever ask for. I am very lucky.

I’ve been quite remiss on the blogging. But here’s to a new year and getting back to it! I’ve got some back stories to get to, but in the meantime, I’m starting with the current: A weekday getaway to Sedona.

It started, like many of our adventures, with me stating “I have an idea!”. Mitch has mixed reactions to this phrase- about half the time it results in him having to do a lot of work (yard work, house work, etc) and the other half ends in a lot of fun. I like to keep him on his toes. This particular idea came after seeing a GroupOn Getaway for Sedona. It advertised a resort for $49 a night. I was skeptical. But when I clicked to get more info, it listed 2 nights for that price- the exact two nights I had been thinking of. So I booked it! Our semester ended really late this year, meaning we had an entire week off in January- just begging for a trip. Sedona was the winner!

We spent the first half of the break celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's eve. There were parties, presents, so much food, a lot of booze, and lots of house cleaning and yard work to prep. So a getaway seemed a perfect end to the break. And who can beat $50 a night in Sedona? I’ve been to Sedona several times, but it’s always just been to drive through, maybe a quick stop to admire the rocks, and then be on my way. Mitch had been there even less, so I booked it.

Two years ago, on what Mitch called our first “Mega Date”, we went to Phoenix for the day to go to Castles and Coasters. We’d only been dating about 2 weeks, so a day trip seemed like a big venture. In the course of planning this Mega Date I mentioned Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch and how I had never been. So we decided to stop. It was freezing, but really fun. So we decided to go back on this trip. It was significantly warmer and even more fun. Rooster Cogburn is a classic roadside attraction, in the middle of nowhere, with no real purpose other than to see and feed a bunch of animals. It’s awesome! We got our feed cups (prices have risen in 2 years- plus they added a whole new building) and headed out. We fed the donkeys, deer, and goats. Braved the ostriches (they’re really big and scary and want food!). We laughed at the goats up in the PentHouse and the Hole in the Wall gang- a bunch of goats sticking their heads and parts of their bodies out of holes trying to convince you to give them treats. We also fed the sheep (a new addition), pygmy goats (and discussed how we should have some… someday) and the cutest little bunnies ever! Bunnies!! A very wise new addition. Then it was on to the Lorikeets- they eat nectar from a little plastic condiment container. When you walk in, they swarm- lorikeets everywhere and all over. They pry off the lid and lick the nectar with their ridiculously long tongues. It’s hilarious and so much fun. Afterwards it was on to the brand new Ray touch tank where we got to feed them eel strips and pet their soft backs. All the while dreaming of having my own little weird ranch full of silly animals to pet and give treats to. Someday… All in all a very successful first stop!

Next up was IKEA! Originally i figured we could stop there for lunch- because Swedish meatballs are amazing. And who am I kidding? IKEA is the best, so obviously we did some shopping too. We found a few odds and ends that we really needed (of course) and some snacks for the road. Swedish Cinnamon rolls are amazing too. But, much to Mitch’s dismay, when admiring the kitchens, I uttered those little four words “I have an idea”. We had been talking about our kitchen countertops and what to do with them and a friend had suggested butcher block as a solution to give new countertops without ripping out the current ones, that are original to the house. I happened to spot just such a thing in IKEA and convinced Mitch we should get it. We agreed to stop back on our way home since a 6 foot piece of wood wouldn’t fit easily in the car and we had a lot of driving planned. Spoiler: We stopped back on Friday and got it. It was so long it had to stand upright and literally divided the front of the car, so we spent the drive home from Phoenix not being able to see each other and talking around a giant box. It was awkward, but I’m sure it’ll be great once it’s installed. Updates will come soon!

After our successful IKEA venture we headed north and finally made it to Sedona. It was dark and chilly, but not too bad. As we checked in, the concierge offered us a $75 dining credit to use anywhere in town, all we had to do was attend an hour and half presentation on Time Shares sometime during our stay. Time we have. Money, less so. So we agreed. He made us a reservation at a fancy Fine Dining Italian place and we headed to our room to shower off the smells of meatballs and farm animals and attempt to look like classy people. Dinner was amazing. We went well over our $75 credit, but figured we still got a deal. Every bite was better than the last. Mitch enjoyed a (very expensive) scotch, I had wine. We got an appetizer, salads, lobster and shrimp pasta, and dessert. We would be so good at being rich people!

The next day was cold, cloudy, and rainy. But we had already planned to drive up to the Grand Canyon, so away we went. We stopped in Flagstaff for brunch and to pick up some candy (aka provisions) and debated not going, but figured we had nothing else going on so why not. The canyon was cold, foggy, and a little drizzly when we arrived. It was also empty. So we headed into the El Tovar lounge and sat in the bar drinking hot chocolate. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. As we were finishing our drinks, the fog cleared some and the sun came out a bit. So we headed out to admire the view. I love the Grand Canyon. I never tire of the view and never ceased to be amazed at how spectacular it is. We walked along the rim a bit and headed into the visitor center. We caught a presentation on Elk by one of the rangers- fact: Elk are not native to the Canyon or anywhere in Northern Arizona. There was once a smaller breed of elk present, but they were hunted to extinction by early white settlers and the current Elk were brought in from Yellowstone to repopulate the area for hunting. Now they’re causing major damage. As the ranger called them, they are “exoctic invasive species causing great harm”. They destroy the native yucca and other vegetation and eat farm more than the native Mule Deer and Bighorn Sheep do, causing the little guys to have to forage for food that should be abundant. In all the years I lived in Northern Arizona and all the visits I’ve made to the Canyon, I truly had no idea. So here’s my PSA: don’t import wild animals from other areas of the country (or world)- no good comes of it! Armed with our new knowledge we left the park behind and headed back to Sedona for dinner and warmth.

Friday we had to drag ourselves out of bed and get to a different resort for our Time Share presentation. It was terrible. I hate sales in general, but this was even worse. There was a lot of circle talking and no actual info given. Long story short- we listened for over two hours during our “private” meeting and did not buy a timeshare. Also they’re not cheap, despite what the circle talking implies. They also do not have any locations on llama farms. We tooled around Sedona a bit after we escaped, admired the vortexes but didn’t get drawn into any unfortunately, trekked up to the Chapel in the Rock to take in the views and look at a giant mansion that may or may not belong to Nicolas Cage and then headed towards the freeway. We decided to make more use of our National Parks pass and stop at Montezuma’s castle- another favorite of mine. We marveled at the construction and placement and appreciated that we have air conditioning and heat and don't have to climb ladders and rocks to get home everyday.

On our way out Mitch suggested we stop at the Cliff Castle Casino. He had almost driven in its entrance by mistake, thinking it was the national park, and it was next to the freeway. We decided we would gamble the change we had amassed- about $3, and leave either when it was gone or if we made $5. We’re clearly big spenders! We walked in and put $1 into a machine. The minimum bet was $.49- not what we had bargained for, so we quickly left that and paid better attention to the fine print. We tried to a few, with no luck, and wandered around looking for something good. Then we saw it: a machine that had golden tortoises on it. If we were going to win, this was it. We played our remaining couple of dollars, and slowly watched the balance go down, occasionally boosted by 10-20 cents, but still dwindling. We were down to under 10 cents, and betting 1 penny at a time, when we hit the jackpot! 5 golden tortoises in a row!! The machine pays out 500 to 1 for this. Winners!! And for those of you who aren’t math whizzes, 500:1 on a penny bet is $5. We knew we weren’t going to top the jackpot win, so we cashed out our winnings, high fived at our luck and the tortoises, and headed to the car.

We drove back into Phoenix, picked up our 6 foot long box of butcher block countertop and met up with Mitch’s oldest sister, Alana, and her family for dinner. She said the shabbat prayers and lit the candles and we ate traditional chinese take out. The nephews showed us their legos and cars and books and various other fun toys. It’s always fun to stop in and see the whole crew and something we always swear we’re going to do more. Maybe 2017 is the year...